The Bird Hunters

Well, the covey took wing, shotguns a-singin' A pointing dog down in the old logging road Danny got three and looked back a-grinning I fumbled and I tried to reload The country was cold with the sun westward sinking It's good to be back in this place With my hands around a Belgian made Browning My mind on the lines of her face Well now, Danny's my buddy, we grew up like family Hunted this timber before we could drive And the old English Pointer, he once belonged to me But I give him up when I moved in '05 Off with a girl, off to the city Off on a wing and a chance Hell, I thought it'd play out just like some story We fell in love at a rodeo dance She said, "Go back to Cherokee County Won't you crawl back with nothing but a razor and a comb?" Says, "Babe, if you need me, I'll be where you found me Go on to hell, honey, I'm headed home" Dan says, "Look at ol' Jim A dozen Decembers behind him no worse for the wear And your time spent in Tulsa did not help your shooting And look at the gray in your hair How good does it feel? You belong in these hills It's best that you let it all end If you'd have married that girl, you'd have married her family You dodged a bullet, my friend" She said, "Go back to Cherokee County Won't you crawl back with nothing but a razor and a comb?" Says, "Babe, if you need me, I'll be where you found me Go on to hell, honey, I'm headed home" Ah, and I was beginning to deal with it ending The old dog had pointed while part of me died And a flutter of feathers Then a shotgun to shoulder I thought of the Fourth of July She'll be home on the Fourth of July I bet we'll dance on the Fourth of July Dan says, "Hell of a shot, looks like you've still got it That's what we came here to do Well, it's light enough still, at the foot of the hill We could kick up a single or two" She said, "Go back to Cherokee County Won't you crawl back with nothing but a razor and a comb?" Says, "Babe, if you need me, I'll be where you found me Go on to hell, honey, I'm headed home" Go on to hell, honey, I'm headed home